Africa-Press – Seychelles. The government is currently undertaking a review of all activities being conducted by food vans in the country, and in the meantime, no new applications for such business on state land will be accepted until the review is completed.
The exercise is being done in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, the Ministry of Lands and Housing and the Seychelles Licensing Authority (SLA) which will last until June 30, 2022.
In a press conference held yesterday, chief executive of the Enterprise Seychelles Agency (Esa), Angelic Appoo, explained that the review is being done due to the fact that several factors of concern have been identified including food vans that are not operating in an approved location, do not have a lease agreement or are operating in unhygienic conditions.
She added that due to the fact that there has been an increase in the number of food van applications to be conducted on state land, the relevant stakeholders are assessing the number of requests against availability of spaces for this business activity alongside other requests for similar spaces.
On her part, principal secretary for Lands, Muriel Morgan, explained that as part of the ongoing streamlining within the government, and also to ease the process of doing business, instead of dealing with the issues of land request, her department has handed over the responsibility to Esa, since it is the legal body which decides who should get a licence to operate.
She added that due to the fact that all requests for lands were flooding her department, and since managing those lands is a lot, it was therefore difficult to focus on the principal mandate which is to ensure land and housing for Seychellois.
PS Morgan added that following the reviews, Esa, along with the SLA and other involved agencies will have all the authority to entertain and take care of all requests related to food vans.
She also noted that they are getting the support of the district administrations in conducting surveys to identify appropriate spaces for new businesses, and also for possibilities of extensions.
Once identified, the various plots will be visited, before possible approval will be granted through joint decision by all the involved agencies.
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